Empire of the Heavens
by Xenotime
Summary: A young hybrid warrior's life will change forever when she discovers a great secret long forgotten by people. Now she must find a way to preserve it at all costs or the future will remain bleak as it is.
1. Arrival part 1

This is my first Claymore fanfic. It is AU and there is some OOC since it is the early days of Miria. Hopefully I'll be able to do the character development good enough through the story. First chapter will serve as a prologue as the real story will begin at chapter 2. Hope you enjoy it.

Disclaimer: I do not own Claymore.

**Empire of the Heavens**

**Chapter 1: ****Arrival**

Act 1: Residents of Cior

"It is not that complicated. You enter the town, find the yoma, slay it, then leave." Ermita looked right into the young girl's silver eyes. This time he had to make sure she understood the procedure.

The young hybrid warrior looked down on the ground breaking the eye contact. She seemed a little embarresed and dissapointed.

"Sigh... You don't need to declare to the whole town that you're 'human' like them and that they shouldn't be afraid of you. Putting aside the fact that you're technically not human; it is practically impossible to convice simple people to overcome their fear of yoma and everything related to it."

The warrior finally blurted out of her silence "But, they should trust us!" She was holding a weapon tightly; a sword that she earned just two weeks ago. A claymore; the very weapon that gave these nameless half human, half yoma warriors a name.

Ermita stood his ground, not being effected by the fact that the girl was on the verge of crying "No buts... You have to keep your mouth shut during missions. Speak when only necessary and maintain self control..." He then made his next move to douse the fire which was her rebellious attitude "Though I have to admit, you did controlled yourself pretty well when the villagers started throwing stones at you last time."

"You didn't have to remind me that..." The memories of that unpleasent incident had cleary calmed her down.

The man in black knew now it was the time to win her again with a little sympathy "Look, I know it is hard to accept you're different, but this is reality. Don't worry. You probably won't be assigned there again, _since they refused to pay_..." the last part of the sentence was said in a whisper.

After a few minutes of silence the young warrior stood up. This time she spoke with determination in her voice "This time I'll do things right." She wore her armor and hanged her massive sword on her back. Then she spoke to her observer once more "Do I need to know anything else before I leave?"

Ermita was caught off guard, but he remembered something of importance. "Oh, yes! If they happen to offer you the payment, which seems to happen just too often, just say that I'll pick it up later on. Without mentioning my name of course." After all, this was her second mission; and although she managed to slay the yoma in the first one, recieving the payment somehow turned into a philosophy lecture about humanity. "Wait for me here after you finish the job."

The girl answered cheerfully "I'll see you before night then." The half human, half yoma warrior began walking eagerly towards the small town of Cior.

"Good huntings number 41, Miria." He said just as she got out his sight. A few moments later he heard a voice behind him.

"That kid... She's spirited, but unfortunately an idealist as well. She'll have to learn the hard way."

Ermita turned to face the owner of the voice "Rubel, I didn't expect to see you here." The man in black raised an eyebrow and spoke with caution "Why are you here?"

"I was curious about the infamous troublemaker. Even the elders took notice of her after the ruckus she caused in Gibar."

"Well, I do remember a few similar cases when the Organization was still young. They eventually learn their role in this world, one way or the other. Yet, Miria is different..."

"Anyway, do you think she can handle this job alone? Rumor has it that Cior has become a yoma hive." Although he knew the answer, Rubel still waited for Ermita's response.

Miria's observer answered in sarcastic tone "I don't put much stock in rumors. I rely on facts."

Rubel could almost see Ermita smiling behind his cowl. He tried to make him admit his true intentions "What was the 'request' exactly?"

"Just a single yoma in the town. Shouldn't be much of a problem _even for her_." Ermita especially emphasised the last part of the sentence in order to change the subject.

Rubel decided to play along. "Even her?" After all he already found out the true nature of this mission.

Ermita thought about it for awhile before he answered "I don't think she would have risen above number 30." This was his honest opinion.

Rubel spoke as he adjusted his spectacles. "Is that so? That's hard to believe. I heard from the trainers that her speed is quite close that of low ranked single digits. I am aware that speed alone is not enough, but she could have improved in the future..."

"Yet, the way she was trained would have been her downfall eventually." Said Ermita with pure confidence in his judgement.

"Hmph, I guess you're right. This is completely Rado's fault." Thinking about the Rado's unorthodox method of training caused Rubel to snap with frustration. "What was he thinking!?"

Unlike his colleague, Ermita was calm. "I'm sure Rado had his reasons back then." He knew Miria wouldn't trouble them anymore.

* * *

The sun was rising high in the sky as morning turned into noon. Miria had been walking for two hours ever since Ermita's briefing for her next mission. The town of Cior was founded on a large plateau and from this elevation the scenery of the plains below was simply captivating. Despite her discipline, the warrior could not help stopping for a few minutes to absorb the endless green of the western plains, the smell of countless flowers, the cool touch of the breeze, and the sound of... silence.

Something was amiss. Miria looked at the empty fields as she resumed her walk towards Cior. 'Farmers should be working hard these days; it is harvest time. Perhaps the yoma attacked again early this morning, causing everyone to lock themselves in their homes.' Despite her self-reassurence, something still wasn't right. 'Why isn't it suppressing its yoki?' The young warrior wondered if some yoma were that confident.

Miria now could see the buildings of Cior, which lied half an hour walk ahead of her. The town looked deserted and there was no sound belonging to humans or human activities. Due to the lack of space the buildings were tall and streets were narrow. 'Living here must be interesting.' This was the first time Miria saw a settlement larger than a village. The young girl wished she could stay here for awhile after her job. Yet, memories of Gibar haunted her once more, plus she was sure that Ermita would keep her busy.

The half human, half yoma warrior was thrilled as soon as she entered Cior. She started to examine every detail of the town. 'Built on the only mountain passage that connects western and eastern provinces, this must be a thriving town. I wonder what kind of goods they trade here?' In the eyes of the yoma slayers called Claymores, Miria's view of the world was quite eccentric. She payed attention to things that her comrades ignored; but unlike her, other hybrid warriors would never drop their guards down while on a mission.

Miria was relieved when she finally saw some people gathered in the town center. They were talking but there was no heated discussion concerning the yoma. The young warrior checked the surroundings throughly for danger for the first time since she entered Cior. 'There seems to be no yoma around. Perhaps my estimation was wrong-' Suddenly she stopped; at that moment Miria realized the wind had been blowing behind her towards Cior. 'No... How could I've been so careless?' Only now standing close to the source, the hybrid warrior could smell the foul scent of blood and rotten corpses. Miria began to feel nauseous; caused not only by the smell but also of the realization of the situation. 'All this time I have been sensing the combined suppressed yoki of all these yoma!' There were at least sixthy yoma in disguise before her, and more throughout the town.

The crowd slowly faced their unfortunate victim. The yoma had known about the silver-eyed witch's presence ever since she stepped on the stone pavements of Cior. The terror in her eyes could easily be seen. One of them let out an evil laughter, soon joined by the rest. They slowly began to encircle the frozen slayer, enjoying the moment she became aware of her approaching doom. Before the half human could snap out of it, all yoma began to change into their true forms. They burst out of their clothes as their muscles expanded, hands turned into claws, skin colour became dark green, and eyes turned into yellow cat-eyes. A rather large yoma threateningly displayed its razor sharp fangs with saliva dripping from them, soon to be replaced by red blood.

'So, it was destined to end like this. There is nothing I can do. Maybe I can end my life before they can. If only I could move... I... I don't want to die. Not now... not so young... not as a failure...' Tears flowed from her eyes. Denying her end yet not being able to do anything about it, that was what made her cry silently. Miria fell onto her knees, paralyzed in fear.

Her silver eyes stared blankly into the horizon, as if looking into the world beyond.

Her mouth partially opened as if trying to speak out her last words.

Her hands and arms opened wide, as if she was praying one last time.

Her sword clanged as it hit the pavement, as if a gong announced the end.

Miria finally accepted the inevitable.

Yoma waited, savouring each and every second of the fatalism in those silver eyes. The monsters held back their lust for blood till they were satisfied. Then the circle narrowed slowly. Just as they were about to leap on her the largest yoma roared, causing the others to stop. "The killing blow is mine. You can tear her corpse into pieces afterwards." Rest of the yoma grunted, but obeyed him nevertheless. They retreated a few steps, leaving enough space for the large yoma to carry out the execution of the silver-eyed witch. Afterall it was his loss. They would be the ones taking her body parts as souveniers. Silver eyes being the grand prize.

Miria fixed her blank stare on the big yoma with its roar. A shadow fell on the half human's face as the hulking creature raised his claw. At that moment her eyes saw a similar pose from a different person replacing the yoma before her, a memory from the past. Now she saw a young girl, probably twelve years old. Her two-handed sword raised high, ready to deliver the finishing blow. Just like the yoma...

* * *

_Miria__ fell on her back; the young trainee had bruises and cuts all over her. She began to cough blood as she tried to stand up. It was no use for pain surged through her entire body with every movement; she had been incapacitated. A shade covered the sun, as her opponent stood right in front of her. Miria tried to see her opponent through her swollen eyes._

_Both girls were about the same age. Athough, due to her height and __rather odd facial expression, Miria's opponent did look older. The girl, although a trainee herself, had been assigned as Miria's trainer and today was their first sparring session. And now it was coming to an end; with Miria beaten to a pulp and her trainer not having a scratch on her._

_Miria's trainer was preparing for the finishing blow. Her grasp on the sword was adamant, her stance perfect, and her eyes glowing in silver despite the bright sunlight.__ She covered her face in fear. But the last strike never came. When Miria gathered the courage to look at her a hammering slap nailed her down, almost breaking her neck. Her trainer sighed and then spoke with a gentle voice._

"_Miria, do you know the most important thing in battle?"_

"_...Strength?..."_

"_Sure, strength is important. Yet, it is not the most important thing."_

"_...Skill?..."_

"_Skill is important too. But still the wrong answer."_

"_...Is it wits?"_

"_Important once more, yet again not the answer."_

"_Then what is it?"_

_The trainer__ waited until she was paying full attention. "Courage."_

_Miria remained __silent upon her answer. The tall girl kneeled right beside her. The trainee turned her face, avoiding eye contact. Her trainer spoke in a gentle manner "Think about it. You won't be able benefit from the things you listed earlier should fear control your actions." She then lowered her face near to her's and whispered in her ear. "Can you even begin anything without it?"_

_Miria tried to fully comprehend the importance of courage in battle. She thought about her sparring __with her trainer just now. All she did was staying defensive, never attacking and always hesitant in her moves. She was right, every move she made were limited in fear._

"_I promise,. I won't allow fear dominate me ever again."_

"_Good... Then what are you still afraid of?"_

_Miria hesitated, for she was afraid. But nevertheless she slowly raised her head and for the first time faced her trainer. Eventhough her expression was serious as usual, Miria could see the smile in __Galatea's eyes._

* * *

The large yoma brought his claws down, in less than a fraction of a second the half human's head would hit the ground. Suddenly he saw a flash and stopped his attack. Something was wrong. The yoma looked at his prey with disbelief "It can't be!" The yoma slayer was holding her claymore and most of all the blade was resting on her left, covered with blood. Yoma blood...

A heart beat... Blood flowed through the yoma's veins and reached his right arm. First a thin line of blood appeared on his wrist, like a bracelet. Then with pressure the blood pushed his right hand away from the arm and flowed freely from the open wound. The monster's cry of pain echoed throughout the city.

* * *

**To be continued...**

* * *

Next act is 'Chase in Cior'.


	2. Arrival part 2

Sorry for not updating for months. This is the second part of the prologue chapter. Thanks to all who read the first act. I hope you enjoy this one as well.

DreamReaper: Thanks for the encouragement. I'm not sure whether it will go for the better or worse, but I'll try my best.

Shelter: Thanks, I really appreciated your advice and made some corrections in the first act accordingly. As for your questions; Miria's character is intentional as the reason will be revealed in the next act. Although, it was really hard for me to choose between an OC and Miria for the main character of the story. The view point... well I'm not experienced in writing (esspecially in English) but I think it will be 3rd person point of view.

_Disclaimer:_ I do not own Claymore.

**Empire of the Heavens**

**Chapter 1: Arrival**

Act 2: Chase in Cior

"It can't be!!"

The words of the beast turned into a yell as his severed hand fell on the pavement. The yoma's moment of glory was stolen by the silver eyed witch. A moment ago she was broken, she had accepted her fate, she was about to embrace death with open arms! But now... 'How could she deny the inevitable? It must be something about her human half.' This was the last thoughts passed in the yoma's mind as the large blade slashed his torso.

'Why did I deny the inevitable?' Miria thought about it as yoma blood washed her face. At that moment the hybrid warrior could not run for it for she was surrounded and there were more yoma throughout the town waiting for her. If she fought, the beasts would kill her easily as she could barely handle a single one. Logic said there was no way out! But then, why was she still struggling? Why did she suddenly remembered her long past sparring with Galatea? The answer became clear to Miria as she passed the slashed yoma. 'Survival instincts... And even with all the opposition of logic it couldn't be suppressed. It must be my yoma half...'

All the other yoma watched in awe as the half human, half yoma warrior cleaved their leader's hand and opened a deep wound on his chest. This time it was them who were paralyzed. They hesitated to act as the slayer began running towards the suburbs. The large yoma yelled at the others "After her, you maggots!" He then picked up his severed hand and began attaching it to his arm. The beast smirked with delight as two yoma caught up with the Claymore.

The young half yoma, half human warrior noticed a shadow approaching from her left. "This is as far as you go witch!" The yoma's words were like a loud whisper in the silver eyed slayer's ear for the creature was that close to her.

For a moment Miria was glad that she was in control of her body once more. The hybrid warrior didn't like the idea of acting on pure instinct. Although now she had lost her initial momentum, and was slowing down as her human consciousness suppressed her yoma half. 'This is not good. One of them is almost in arms reach and another one is coming fast from behind!'

The demon let out a howl as he closed the distance between his prey; he looked at his right and saw another yoma closing in. The beast wanted the half human first, so he decided to act immediately...

The yoma within a hybrid seeked dominance over the body and struggled for it every second of the warrior's life ever since she transformed. And now the current situation provided a good opportunity as Miria's fear lowered her willpower which contained it. In life few things were achieved in the ideal way, and this was a fact Miria knew too well. She had to give up on her complete control over her inner demon. But this had to be done in a certain extend, otherwise...

It was time to end the hunt, the yoma shouted as he leaped on the silver eyed slayer. "You're MINE NOW!"

Miria let yoki flow through her body, then directed it to her legs by sheer willpower. Her body reacted to the demonic energy and Miria's eyes turned from silver to gold, much too similar to that of yoma eyes. It was a proof of the minor dominance of her inner yoma over her body. With this her vision got distorted, everything around her slowy became elongated horizontally. The young warrior knew this wasn't due to the change of eye colour. That was merely a side effect of what she gained from the yoki release.

This was it! The yoma brought down both of his claws on the silver eyed witch "What the-!?" The girl was no longer there and his fingers and palms slammed right into the pavement. The one following behind stopped for he realized there was no way he could cope with the half human. She was running at a speed which only a few elder yoma could match.

* * *

'Okay this is a fine balance for the moment.' Miria fixed her yoki at thirteen percent, which provided sufficient amount of strength to outrun almost any yoma and enabled her to think sophisticatedly without giving into beastly ferocity. The race with the two yoma was decided in merely two seconds and now Miria was approaching the suburbs of Cior. Yet, many yoma awaited her along her destination ready to cut her way, for only a small part of the yoma were in the town square. Once out of the narrow streets of the town she would be safe from ambushes.

The large yoma had watched the half human's escape with great frustration. "Don't you dare let her get away!" He slowly walked towards his prey while he slowly regenerated the deep wound on his chest. There was no need to hurry; dozens of yoma were waiting her in the streets of Cior. If the witch thought speed alone could save her, she would be dead wrong...

Miria let out a small shriek as three yoma suddenly jumped in front of her. The idea that any of those tall buildings could habor yoma didn't comfort her at all. In addition the streets were so narrow that the bulky bodies of two yoma were enough to block her way and there was no space to swing her blade. 'Having a dagger or shortsword would sure come in handy!' But the only weapon she had was an oversized claymore.

The half human, half yoma warrior heard the sound of the remaining yoma at the town square were getting closer. 'I can impale the first yoma, punch the second hoping he won't be able to react in time, and the third...' She constructed dozens of strategies in her mind within a fraction of a second. But for every merit of a plan there were three faults. Even in the best scenario where she managed to pass the three before her the ones behind caught up. There seemed to be no way ahead. Therefore, she choosed the most favourable option and rushed into the back alley on her left.

'A dead end? Great...'

Almost forty yoma had gathered at the mouth of the alley where each one of them were trying to enter, but failing due to lack of space. The large yoma was rather astounded by the idiocy of his kin. "You imbeciles! Stop fooling around and do something useful, like capturing the half breed!"

A yoma ran towards their leader "Grishnah! We cornered the half human in an alley with no way out; she won't escape!"

The large yoma could easily guess how she would get out of the dead end. Grinshnah yelled at all the yoma who couldn't enter the alley. "Get in the buildings surrounding the alley, the witch will attempt to escape through them." He then spoke to the yoma who adressed him "And you! Warn the flyers. She'll want to use the rooftops! Do you understand!!"

The smaller yoma trembled before the superior authority of older and larger yoma "Y-yes, Grishnah." He ran with all his might and focused on his yoki sense in order to find the current location of the flying yoma. If he didn't get to them in time Grishnah would surely change his diet for tonight, no matter how disgusting it tasted...

The alley was so narrow that, with their wide bodies only one yoma could face her at a time. Miria stabbed the yoma in front of her, but was forced to pull her sword back before it could inflict a lethal wound on her opponent. Even now yoma behind the first one were attempting to grab her claymore; it would be a disaster should she somehow lost her blade to them. But she was just trying to gain sometime; slaying yoma wasn't her top priority at the moment. The young warrior could kill many yoma before being overwhelmed, as the monsters would sooner or later use their strength and numbers to 'widen' the alley. Yet, Miria always made decisions for the long run, and now finding an escape route was the path to survival.

As the wounded yoma backed down Miria focused on her yoki sense to scan the area. There were alot of yoki emission which could be explained by the several dozen yoma filling the alley, yet the yoki was also surrounding her. The hybrid warrior then saw the large yoma from earlier giving orders to the beasts around him. 'So you think you're smart, eh? Building interiors aren't the only way up.' Miria then began jumping her way up to the rooftops using windows as steps.

Grishnah had been watching the silver eyed slayer's movements carefully. He immediately saw that she noticed the yoma coming to her from the buildings. 'You think you're clever witch.' He grinned as the young warrior jumped right into his trap. 'But I, Grishnah slayer of Claymores, outsmarted you!' The large yoma watched the flying yoma descent upon the unsuspecting half breed.

'This is bad!' Miria desperately tried to find a solution for her current situation while trying to hold back her fear and thus her yoma half. The young warrior rebuked herself for not sensing the yoma above. 'If I ever stay alive after this, Galatea will definitely pester me forever.' After all she was the one who always lectured Galatea about thinking three dimensional. 'Alright... I'll have to go with the lesser evil.' The half yoma warrior unleashed her yoki once more.

Grishnah felt the release of yoki 'Such a desperate act. Even if you manage to reach the rooftop you're still dead.' The yoma leader knew she would attempt to gain higher ground at all costs. Every Claymore he faced did so, be they weak or strong.

With all her mental might Miria stopped the yoki release just before her body began deforming. The young half human, half yoma warrior definitely didn't want to test her limits now. Awakening was worse than getting torn apart by yoma. At the same time the hybrid warrior saw there was only one window between her and the flying yoma, and there were still three storeys left to reach the rooftop. She focused her yoki to make a large leap.

The silver eyed slayer's goal was an important one. Unlike the narrow streets confined by tall buildings, she would have a better view of her surroundings. Most of the yoma would still be on the ground which meant less obstruction on her way. Finally leaping from roof to roof she could quickly get out of the city and use her superior speed to escape. It was really a sound tactic... at least in theory.

'Hmph... They all make the same mistake.' Grinshnah took position and aimed his finger tips just above the silver eyed witch. Although suddenly his expression changed drastically as he shot his claws "What the hell?!"

'If I use the rooftops I'll be exposed to attack in all directions and that large one has obviously ordered other yoma to ambush me along the way.' She then noticed several yoma outside the alley aiming at her 'Not to mention they'll try to skewer me whenever I jump!' Instead of going up, Miria rocketed herself right on to the wall of the next building. A split of a second later she collided with the wall while the flying yoma got pierced by dozens of extended claws.

* * *

"_Wake up sleepy head. It's morning and the sun is shining bright..."_

Shining birght... The words echoed in her mind many times. Words whispered in her ear by a beautiful voice every morning. How long it had been since then? It seemed like foverer, yet Miria remembered every single detail belonging to those happy times.

"Mother...?" Her yawn suddenly turned into an ouch. "My head!" The young warrior looked around and saw a trashed room with rubble everywhere. This surely wasn't the tent she and her mother used during their travels. It took her sometime to focus. 'Right... I rammed myself into the wall. Wait a minute! How long I've been unconscious?'

Miria knew she was in a dangerous condition which even a few seconds count. With her regeneration her headache disappeared, but now she felt something even more disturbing. The half yoma warrior slowly turned to face the yoma rising beneath the debris.

The hybrid warrior seized the opportunity and swinged her blade to behead the beast. Unfortunately the yoma's confusion ended just in time and managed to slap the greatsword upwards, losing some of his scalp in the process. The monster didn't waste any time to jump on her. Miria moved sideways in a spinning fashion to avoid the attack and slash the yoma's back. But the demon was significantly more agile than the half breed; he easily turned around in midair and bloked the attack with both hands. Then again, Miria was used to face opponents physically superior to her; she had anticipated the yoma's move. Yoki increased within her again and she forced herself to complete the swing before the yoma's feet touched the ground. Without friction of the ground supporting the yoma, the hybrid warrior threw the beast right through the hole in the wall she opened recently. The yoma howled as he fell into the alley, knocking down several other yoma.

Miria heard footsteps coming from below and before she could react two yoma burst into the room. 'What to do? What to do? If only I can get out of their sight for a minute or two!' The young warrior blocked and dodged frantically as the yoma began attacking relentlessly. Miria was well aware that she had no chance against two yoma at once. The warrior was compelled to stay on defence from begining of the fight and already the yoma managed to slash her legs and arms a few times. Miria decided to slowly retreat to the windows on the other side of the room. While moving backwards she noticed a large table with broken legs next to an open window. Suddenly the half breed began to swing her claymore rapidly. The yoma, thinking that the half human was switching to offense, leaped out of her reach. Now with enough space, Miria pulled the table right in front of her and kicked it towards the yoma. Of course even with the strenght of the Claymore behind it the wooden table barely slowed the yoma down. Although, it served another purpose...

"Where is she?" The first yoma asked in confusion for the silver eyed witch was nowhere to be seen.

The second one immediately traced her yoki "She has jumped to the next building!" The yoma thought he heard the sound of something shattering earlier. The broken window glass on the building before them proved she was there. "After her!" Both yoma jumped into the next building.

Soon many yoma gathered in the building, but after a few minutes of seach they found nothing. Even her yoki had disappeared. Grishnah sliced and diced the two yoma whom let her escape. "The half breed couldn't have gotten out of the town yet. I want every exit guarded and the rest will search the town. And do not solely rely on your yoki sense. Now go!" Despite their failure to capture the witch Grishnah was smiling. For the large yoma this was no longer a simple hunt, it had become a challenge he had yearned for long. This one was like the other Claymore, who almost killed him. 'Although, there is something really odd about this one...'

* * *

Miria ran in the streets for a while and hid occasionally to avoid the eyes of the flying yoma. The young warrior managed to fool the yoma by simply throwing a broken table leg at a window and sending a wave of yoki towards there, a trick she learned from Galatea. Normally this would not stall them long if not for the small pill she swallowed just as she landed on the street below. Miria always carried a few yoki supression pills with her. Her 'headquarters chores' enabled her to get her hands on such things.

'I only wish I had more of these.' Most Claymores complained about the slight headache and the insecurity caused by not being able to sense yoki. But for Miria the pills were a blessing. While in effect her yoma half was completely suppressed. Taking a break from her mind war against her yoma half, even for half a day, was the best reward she could have for the moment.

The half human, half yoma warrior walked to a building, which looked like an inn, as stealthy as possible. She gently opened the door and peeked in. All the buildings in Cior were high and the inn being five stories tall was no exception. Unlike others each floor was compact and there were only a few tables across the bar. 'I suppose the kitchen is downstairs and the celler beneath it.' Miria had already lost her concentration; she was paying attention to things completely irrelevant to her current condition. Luckily there were no yoma inside.

Miria slowly entered and closed the door behind. After a brief search she found some cloth, a bucket of water and a knife. She first washed her wounds, then cut the cloth and wrapped them around her arms and legs in order to stop her bleeding. Miria was careful about not releasing any yoki, not even for healing her rather heavy wounds inflicted earlier by the two yoma. The hybrid then laid her greatsword on the and sat on a chair. Finally the young slayer could relax after a seemingly eternal fifteen minutes of chase between her and a horde of yoma.

Ever since she was cornered in that alley the warrior knew she wouldn't be able to escape the town no matter what. An average ranking warrior might have forced her way out and single digits would've simply slaughtered all the yoma. Miria had to do something else for she was even weaker than number 47 in combat, despite her greater yoki. Of course there was a reason for her current rank.

'Let's see... I have one more pill. This means I have another chance but still I have to do it tonight before the first pill wears off.' The idea was simple. During night Miria was going to sneak out of Cior while the pill was still in effect.

She took the knife once more and began carving numbers and sketches on the table. Now the young warrior was gathering the fruits of examining Cior throughly before she entered the town square. Something her comrades mostly ignored. Using everything she remembered an hour later Miria formed a detailed and scaled map of Cior, wasting a number of tables and half the bar in the process. She had a rough estimation of the number of yoma and marked places that might be guarded. The half yoma determined the routes that she could take, the places she could retreat if she were spotted, and where she would run once out of the town.

'Alright, this is it. I still have a few hours before nightfall.' She decided to take a tour in the inn. Just as she was heading down to the basement to look for the kitchen, Miria heard the door opening upstairs. She proceeded down stairs as fast and silently as she could.

A yoma entered the inn, he was growling and definitely didn't sound happy. "Damn that Grishnah! He thinks he's so great just because he killed nine half breeds. I can do that too!" The beast overturned a table in anger. After he calmed down a bit he scanned the area with his yoki sense. "She's not here." Then the yoma suddenly cheered up. "Sniff, sniff. I guess I can go on with the hunt after a meal."

Miria's blood froze as footsteps got closer. The young girl didn't have much time so she went further down and entered the wine cellar. 'What is this? There's something else other than wine here.' Then she recognized the smell, the same one she smelled before entering the town square. 'They used this cellar to store the bodies!' To her horror, the silver eyed slayer saw many bodies piled in the cellar. It was like nothing she had ever seen. In the cold room most of the corpses hadn't rotten yet. Miria had learned an important yet unpleasent fact about yoma hives.

The footsteps got closer. There was no where to hide, everything could be seen from the door. She could defeat the yoma but others might notice it. It wasn't worth the risk. The half yoma resorted to her last option. 'I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. Please forgive me. Please...'

The yoma broke the door of the cellar and looked at the room. He saw some fleshy corpses right at the end of the wine barrels. The monster slowly walked towards his meal and crouched down before the corpse of a young boy. "Such a tasty morsel! It would be a waste if it rot away."

He prepared his claws to rip out the guts of the boy.

He opened his mouth ready to devour human flesh.

He saw a sharp metal object covered with blood and saliva, coming out of his mouth.

He felt a sharp pain, then felt nothing at all...

Miria was covered with blood and dirt, her uniform was unrecognizable. She was tightly holding her claymore and staring at the beheaded yoma before her. Minutes later, suddenly the young girl dropped her blade and leaned her back on the wall. She slowly slipped down utill she was lying on the floor then curled up. A careful listener could hear her sobbing, a pair of sharp eyes could see the tears flowing from silver eyes.

For that moment she was no longer the slayer that both humans and yoma feared. She was just a thirteen year old girl, who was living in a world she did not belonged to.

* * *

**To be continued...**

* * *

Next is 'Escape from Cior', the third part of the prologue chapter.

Notes: I portrayed Miria weak, because I wanted to emphasize her quality as an intelligent warrior rather than her speed (except her quick thinking) or leadership. As the character develops through the story I'll focus on those as well. More will be revealed about Miria and Grishnah next act; like Miria's 'headquarter's chores' and Rado's special training, and Grishnah's past accomplishments and the Claymore who nearly slayed him.


End file.
